iWorld
ZEE5 enters into esports with streaming IESF Big Bang Asia Open 2023
Mumbai: ZEE5, India and Bharat’s largest home-grown video streaming platform and multilingual storyteller for millions of entertainment seekers, is all set to foray into the esports streaming with IESF Big Bang Asia Open 2023. The tournament will be streamed on the platform from 4 March to 2 April 2023. Following the success of ILT20, and expanding the catalogue of sports offerings, ZEE5 partners with Big Bang Media to bring one of the biggest esports tournaments for the viewers free of cost.
The IESF Big Bang Asia Open 2023 has over 80,000 participants from across 40 countries in Asia and the Middle East. With qualifiers already underway on passport.gg, ZEE5 is the exclusive streaming partner for the play-offs and the finals of the four featured games, Clash of Clans, Real Cricket, Dota 2 and EFootball.
Talking about the series, ZEE5 India CBO Manish Kalra said, “We are delighted to announce the streaming of the leading esports championship, IESF Big Bang Asia Open 2023 on ZEE5. Being a customer first brand, we are committed to catering to consumers’ widespread demands. Esports is a popular genre amongst youth with a remarkable potential to grow in future, with advancements in technology and gaming infrastructure. Post the encouraging response on ILT20, we are happy to partner with IESF and Big Bang Media for the Big Bang Asia 2023 tournament. We are excited and hopeful audiences will enjoy watching the games.”
Commenting on the partnership, YouTuber and gaming influencer, Ajey Nagar shared, “We are very proud to have ZEE5 as our streaming partner for the IESF Big Bang Asia Open. ZEE5’s quality of content, distribution muscle & creative leadership makes it a dominant media house across geographies and will help establish the IESF Asia Open as the leading esports championship in the region and provide gamers, creators & audiences with an unmatched immersive experience.”
Here is what Hipi CBO GBS Bindra said about the partnership, “Big Bang Asia Open is more than just a tournament, it’s an electrifying experience that brings together the best online gamers from across Asia. We are thrilled to bring the finest moments from this exhilarating event to millions of fans, as the official short video partner for Big Bang Asia Open. Gaming enthusiasts on Hipi will have exclusive access to the exciting highlights and moments from the tournament.”
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
